Buckle



JulyB, 1923. 1,460,756

E. N. HUMPHREY BUCKLE Filed Sept. 1. 1922 IN V EN TOR ATTORNEYS Patented J uly 3, 1923.

units-n stares Lew- TENT; 1. crea e a.

En Es'r N. HUMPHREY, or New BRITAIN, connncrrou'r, iissrenoacro THE TRAUT, &

' INE MFG. comrnnmor New enrrnrn, coivrrnorrocr, A CORPORATION or con- I lnncrrour.

BUCKLE.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known-that I, Ennnsr N. HU PHREY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New Britain, Connecticut, have, invented 'a new and useful Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in buckles, and is of particular utility when employed in connection with a buckle of the sheet metal type, designed particularly for use with bathing suit belts. In such use it has been found that buckles as heretofore made become accidentally disengaged, and the chief object of this'invention is to provide simple and effective means for preventing such disengagement.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation, practically full sized, of a belt constructed-to embody my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section, on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail. Fig. 5 is a section of a modification on a small scale. 7

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of th details of the modified form, on the same scale as Figs. 1 to 4.

' 1--2 represent the two members of a buckle. In the particular form shown these members are struck up from sheet metal, and two of the edges of the same are arranged to abut when the parts are interlocked, the member 1 having a setback at one edge, as indicated at 1*, to overlap the rear of the member 2. Through this set back there is a longitudinal slot. 3 repre- 40 sents a flat hook formed on the part 2 and designed to pass through the slot in the member 1, to inter-engage or hook together said parts 1 and 2.

In the absence of further means, it is ob- .vious that,the hook 3 might be accidentally disengaged from the buckle member 1.' To prevent this I provide a spring barrier which, in its preferred form, is struck up from a piece of relatively thin spring metal. This barrier in theform shown in Figs. 1 to 4 has what I may term a base 4., provided with perforated ears 55 at op posite ends, and a spring tongue portion 6, which acts as the aforesaid barrier when the parts are assembled.

j The member. 2 is provided Withie'ars? to receive the ends'of aibaiLS, towhich one.

end of the belt may be attached. The base 4: of the barrier is so proportioned that the ears 55 will substantially register with the ears 7-7, so that the ends of the bail 8 will perform the additional function of holding means for the barrier, to secure the same firmly in place at the back of the buckle member 2. 10-10 are cars at oppo however, said constructions are substan-,

tially alike. 55 represent the ears on the modified form of the barrier, corresponding to the ears 5-5 on the form first described.

It will be seen 'that'by'this simple construction and arrangement buckles of conventionalxform may be easily equippedwith 5 siteedges of the member 1, between which spring barriers, to prevent the. accidental I disengagement of the hook buckle member from the slotted buckle member. To connect the two members of the buckle requires merely the usual act of'slippi'ng the hook 8 through the, slot in the opposite buckle f member. When the hook is pulled in place the spring tongue, portion of the barrier readily yields until the slotted portion passes said spring tongue, when the latter snaps out into place underneath the hook,

so as'to. operate as a barrier to 'preven'tthe slotted member from becomingdisengaged until the spring tongue portion is presseddown by the thumb or finger.

What I claim is:

1. In a buckle ofthe character described, two sheet metal members, one of said members having an elongated slot forming a hook passage, a hook on the other member,

a yielding barrier carried by the hookmemher, and means forv attaching one end of a belt to the hook member, said yielding barrier carried by said hook member being. held in place by said belt-attaching means, said barrier being formed of sheet metal andhaving, perforated ears at opposite edges adapted to enter said slot, means for securlng one end of a belt'to one of said members,

and means for securing the other, end of a belt to the other member, comprising a bail; With ears on the last-mentioned member to Which said bail is pivoted, a sheet metal perforated ears through which the ends of said bail pass and having a flat spring extendered on one edge thereof co-acting With the hoop properto prevent the accidental disengagement of the slotted buckle member from the hook member. v

ERNEST N. HUMPHREY.

' barrier comprising a base having upturned 

